Fastening device.



PATENTED APR. 26,1904.

R. M. PANGOAST.

FASTENING DEVICE. Ammonium: nun JULY 1a, 1903.

K0 MODEL.

2?. Fan-cams]? c7! 5. a /164' UNITED, STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FASTENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,332, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed July 13. 1903. Serial No. 166,086 No model.) i

To otZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. PANOOAST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fastening devices, and especially such as are adapted for use in securing together the corners or margins of sheets of paper and the flaps of envelope to the body of the same.

The object of my invention is the production of a fastening device which shall be simple in construction, easy to manufacture, and hence cheap in first cost, which shall admit of facile manipulation in application to sheets of paper and envelope, which shall hold the sheets or flaps securely when. applied, and

"which withal shall constitute asuperior in- The invention consists in certain novelties of construction and formation hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate various examples of the physical embodiment of the improvement made according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principle.

Figures 1 to 17, inclusive, show several forms of the device, made of sheet metal. Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of one species. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the opposite side of the device illustrated by Fig. 1, the latter being a view of the back surface and the former an elevation view of the front surface. Fig. 4 illustrates the fastening device shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 applied to unite the corners of several sheets of paper. Fig. 5 shows a form with pointed arms. Figs. 6 and 8 are species with a part of the metal removed between the base and tongue. Fig. 7 shows a form with a tongue rounded at the end. Figs. 9, 10, 15,16, 17 illustrate forms in which the metal is corrugated in whole or in part outside the bending-line. Fig. 11 is a face view, and Fig. 12 a perpendicular sectional view, of a species in which the base is 5 concavo-convex in shape. Fig. 13 is a form especially adapted for use in fastening the flap of an envelop to the body portion there 7 of. connection with anienvelop. Fig. 14' is a section of Fig. 1a on line a (6. Fig. 16 shows Fig. 14 shows the fastening device in the form illustrated by Fig. 15 applied to the a species in which the tongue is broadened at its end. Fig. 22 shows the ends of the wire constituting the arms bent upwardly. Figs. 23 and 24 are back and face views of aspecies in which the wireis not twisted upon itself. Figs. 25, 26, 27 are back, perspective front, and side views of a form in which the wire is flattened. Fig. 28 shows a form in which the arms are parallel and the tongue broadened at the end. Figs. 29 and 30 show species having relatively long tongues which adapt them for special uses.

' Referring to each of the several figures, the letter A designates the base or back of the device; B, the tongue; O, the arms which extend horizontally from the upper part of the base on each side thereof and then perpen dicularly and parallel with the base; D, points where the arms join the base or back and at which points the arms are bent up at a slight angle to the base, so that the depending portions are substantially in a plane in front of the plane of the base; E, open spaces between the arms and the base, and F is the bending zone, which is the space between the two dotted lines. .In all the figures the ends of the depending arms terminate at or near the upper dotted line which defines the upper edge of the bending zone, and it is designed that the bending shall take place as nearly on a line with the ends of the depending arms as possible, so as to insure the pressing together of the sheets of paper by the ends of the arms at those points when the base is turned over through an angle of one hundred andeighty degrees upon and parallel with the tongue. The particular location and disposition of the arms relative to the base is shown inFigs. 2, 3, 12, 19, 20, 26, and 27, and it will be noted that the raised positions of thearms facilitate the insertion of the corners or margins of the assembled sheets between the base and arms.

Referring more specifically to certain of the examples, all of which on Sheet 1 are of plate metal and those on Sheet 2 of wire, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, and 27, show. the extreme end of the tongue slightly bent at G for the purpose of insuring a close contact with the paper of the bent-over parts and prevent any gaping at the ends of the appliance when the back has been bent with the inclosed sheets upon the tongue. Fig. 4 illustrates the application of the type shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 as it appears after receiving the corners of papers and being bent upon them.

Various forms of the bending zone are illustrated. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4c, 5, 10, 13, 1 1, and 17 a portion .of metal is removed at the sides from the space betweenthe dotted lines, and, as shown at H, the line bounding these lateral indentations is at its upper part at a sharp angle to the axis of the base and at its lower part at a more oblique angle to the base. The weakest portion of the metal is thus located near the line of the ends of the side arms and insures that the bending takes place as near thisline as the thickness of the paper will permit. In Figs. 6 and 8 a portion of the metal is removed from the center at I, and the hole is so shaped that the weakest portion of the metal will be at or near the upper dotted line bounding the bending zone. In Figs. 7 11, and 12 the points J of the lines bounding the'base and tongue are nearer together than any other opposite points, and hence the bending will take place as closely to the upper dotted line as the thickness of the paper. folded will permit. In Figs. 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 the parts above and below the bending zone are corrugated, so that the weakest portion of the metal is at the zone. In the wire examples, Figs. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, and 30, which are each made of a single piece of wire bent and twisted to shape, an untwistecl portion K is left at the zone, which is therefore weaker to bend over there than the twisted thicker base above or tongue below. In Figs. 23, 24, and 28 the wire is flattened or thinned at L within the limits of the zone. In Figs. 25, 26, and 27 the entire wire is flattened and that portion of it within the zone at M made thinner, as shown.

The terminal portions of the arms are varied in the numerous examples, some of them being pointed, others rectangular, and in Fig. 22 the free wire ends are turned inwardly. In Figs. 11 and 12, the latter being a perpendicular section of Fig. 11, the back is fashioned to a convex shape, so that when applied to the corners of assembled sheets of paper the upper curved edge of the back will lie over, so as to completely hide the corners of the paper. Figs. 13, 29, and 30 illustrate examples especially adapted for use as an envelop fastener. Figs. 13 and 30 showtwo bending zones, and Fig. 29 one zone. The application of this form to an envelop is shown by Fig. 14. It is attached to the under side of the envelop by inserting the tongue through the body of the paper at such a distance from the upper edge 0 that the portion of the tongue between the upper and lower zones lies under (inside the envelop) and the back and arms remain out in position to receive the end of the envelop-flap, and the extreme end of the tongue reaches above the under edge 0 of the envelop and is bent at its lower bending zone N over the edge 0, (shown by dotted. lines,) when it is in place for use. Then to'fasten the envelop closed for mailing the flap is inserted between the armsand base and finally the base, arms, and flap turned overon the upper zone through an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees. Fig. 14 shows the parts in their relative positions preparatory to the final step. The extreme end of the tongue may of course be passed through the body of the edge Oof the envelop prior to being bent down when so desired.

. Figs. 15 and 17 show forms especially adapted for use in securing together the margins of assembled sheets of paper. The application of form Fig. 15 is shown by Fig. 16. The arms and open spaces between the base and arms are somewhat longer than in other examples in order to allow the folds in the paper to be located some distance from the edges thereof.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is obvious that I have produced afasteningdevice which fulfils all the conditions set forth as the purpose of my invention.

While I have illustrated a variety of examples which physically embody the improvement, I do not thereby intend to restrict the scope of my claims to such examples, inas much as modifications may be introduced in manufacture which will not constitute sub stantial departures.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A metallic fastening device, for assem bled sheets of paper and envelops, having a base portion, a tongue, and two similar arms on opposite sides of the base portion and of less length than the length of the base and tongue; the depending portions of said arms being located some distance from the sides of the base portion so as to provide two open spaces between said base and arms, one space being on each side of the base, whereby a sheet or sheets of paper can be inserted within the open spaces, the metal of the base portion being adapted to be bent over on a line passing through the ends of the arms, and the ends of the arms forced into the crease formed in the paper by the process of bending.

2. A metallic fastening device for assembled sheets of paper or envelops consisting of abase portion, a tongue, and two arms located upon opposite sides of the base portion and of less length than the length of the base and'tongue; the metal at the junction of the base and tongue being weaker than the metal of the base and tongue above and below to form a bending zone; and the depending portions of the arms being located some distance from the base portion to form open spaces for receiving the paper; and said base portion adapted to be bent over uponfthe tongue and at its junction with the tongue and clamp the paper and force the ends of the arms into the crease made in the paper by the act'of bending.

3. A metallic fastening device for assembled sheets of paper and envelops consisting of a base portion, a tongue, and two arms on opposite sides of the base portion and located some distance therefrom to form open spaces between said arms and base portion; the metal at the junction of the base and tongue and at a point in line with the ends of the arms be ing weaker than the metal each side thereof to form a bending zone; and the said tongue at its extreme end curved or bent upwardly, whereby when the paper has been inserted in the open space, and the base bent over and pressed down, the extreme ends of the baseand tongue will grip the paper thereby preventing a gaping of the applied device.

4:. A metallic fastening device for assembled sheets of paper and envelops consisting of a base portion, a tongue, and two arms located some distance from and upon opposite sides of the'base portion to form open spaces for a sheet or sheets of paper; the said arms being I 5. A metallic fastening device for assembled 1 sheets of paper, consisting of a base portion; a tongue and two arms located on each side and some distance from the base portion to form open spaces; the metal at the junction of the baseand tongue in line with the ends of the arms being weakened, and the arms bent upward at the points D, D, where they join the base, to positions above the plane of the said base portion.

6. A sheet-metal fastening device for assembled sheets of paper, consisting of a base portion, a tongue, and two arms of less length than the base and tongue and located some distance from the base to form open spaces each side of the base; the metal at the junction of the base and tongue and in line with the ends of the arms being made weaker than the metal above-and-below; and the said arms being bent at D D, to lie in a plane above the plane of the base.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD M. PANCOAST.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. PANGOAST, R1011. M. PANcoAsT, Jr. 

